Governors Call on Congress to Authorize Cybersecurity Grant Funding this Year

Legislation Will Strengthen Preparedness and Response Among States and Localities

The National Governors Association (NGA) commends Congress for taking a critical step forward in helping states and localities enhance their cybersecurity efforts and urges passage of legislation this year to provide a dedicated cybersecurity grant fund for states and localities.

The rise of cyber incidents, intrusions and disruptions highlights the urgent need to establish a comprehensive approach to protect critical infrastructure at all levels of government.

Governors have continually called on Congress to provide additional resources to states to help strengthen their cybersecurity posture.

This year, there are several pieces of legislation before the Congress that would lay the groundwork for increased funding and resources to help states develop and implement innovative cybersecurity practices, help to build resources and human capital, better detect and analyze cyber threats, as well as help to enhance partnerships among different levels of government.

NGA calls on Congress to pass legislation this year – such as S.1065/H.R. 2130, the State Cyber Resiliency Act, S.1846 the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2019 and H.R 5823 the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act – to authorize dedicated grant funding for states and localities to help improve the preparation, response and recovery efforts related to cyber incidents.